The Contracting Parties (Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, South Africa, Seychelles, Mauritius, Madagascar, Comoros and France) identified the region’s priorities, needs, capacity gaps, and approaches for regionally-coordinated implementation, follow-up and review for SDG 14 and other ocean-related SDGs, including priorities and capacity gaps at national levels.

Additionally, national missions were held in the Seychelles in October 2016 and in the Republic of Madagascar and the United Republic of Tanzania in January 2017 to assess the situation regarding SDG implementation, to identify national priorities, and to highlight approaches for bridging the gaps in the three countries.

In recognition of the important role of the SDG 14 implementation in the Western Indian Ocean Contracting Parties of the Nairobi Convention together with the broad range of partners including the PROG have made a voluntary commitment on a regional SDG 14 partnership for the UN Oceans Conference to be held in June 2017 in New York.